1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to stringed musical instruments and, more specifically, to an improved stringed musical instrument and method of making a stringed musical instrument, especially an electric stringed instrument (e.g., an electric guitar), having attached neck and body portions.
2. Description of Related Art
There are numerous types of stringed instruments, e.g., guitars, banjos, etc., known in the art. Typically, guitars, for example, are constructed with two distinct portions—a wide body portion and a narrow neck portion extending therefrom. The strings of the guitar are typically mounted along the neck of the guitar, with first ends of the strings attached to the body and second ends of the strings attached at a distal end of the neck. The body can be hollow, semi-hollow or solid.
The neck and body portions of a stringed instrument may be connected together via screws, bolts, or other fasteners and the like, and that such connectors may be located underneath a cover plate on the front side of the instrument. Thus, the instrument may be constructed to includes no visible securing members, such that separate neck and body portions can be connected together while maintaining a one-piece aesthetic quality of the instrument. These attachment techniques may sacrifice a certain amount of structural integrity for the improved aesthetic quality.
While a number of neck and body attachments are known in the art, there are a variety of problems with such existing attachments. Among other things, existing attachments can be difficult to assemble, costly to assemble, structurally unsound and aesthetically undesirable. Thus, there exists a continued need in the art for improved neck and body attachment methods and devices.